James m



(No Model.)

' J. M. BASINGER.

TRACE COUPLING.

No. 283,320. Patented Aug. 14, 18832 wine, a;

I UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

JAMES M. BASINGER, OF, BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO PRATT & LETCHWORTH, or SAME PLACE.

TRACE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,320, dated August 14, 1883.

Application filed March 27, 1883. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. BASINGER, of the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trace-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in clasps or couplings designed for use on traces and other harness-straps for attaching cockeyes, hooks, buckles, chains, and "similar contrivances thereto. 7

The object of my invention is to construct the clasp or coupling in such manner that a chain, buckle, or similardevice can be readily attached to the trace or strap, and so that the cockeye, buckle, or chain can be readily removed when desired.

My invention consists to that end of the pe-' culiar construction of the elasp or coupling, and also of the peculiar construction of the cockeye, in connection with which it may be used, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved coupling with the cockeye in place. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section in line 00 m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device when used for attaching a chain to the trace. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views, illustrating modified constructions of the coupling. Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations at right angles to each other, show. ing amodified construction of the cockeye.

Like letters of reference refer'to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a trace, tug, or other harness strap, and B the clasp or coupling which is secured to the end thereof. The coupling B is composed of two parallel plates, b b, and'two curved -connecting-pieces, c 0, which connect the outer ends of the plates 1) b, and which are separated by an opening or recess, (1, of sufficientwidth and depth to accommodate the link of a chain, as represented in Fig. 3, or the shank of an ordinary cockeye, or the tongue of a buckle. The plates b b are adapted to be arranged against the outer sides of the trace or strap A; but, if preferred, they maybebeveled, so as to be inserted between layers of leather,

provided they are'so far apart that the cockeye or other article to be secured to the trace can bepassed through the space between the plates.

E represents the cockeye, which is secured by the coupling B to the trace or strap A. The cross-bar of the cockeye, which is arranged in the socket formed by the curved connectingpieces 0 c, is divided and composed of two arms, 6 e, separated by an opening,f. The arms e bear against the inner sides of the connecting-pieces c, and are provided at their ends with enlargements or collars e, which overlap the connecting-pieces c and resist the tendency of the arms to move'outwardly or spread when a heavy pull is applied to the.

cockeye. The cavity 9 of the cockeye, in which the link h of the chain is arranged, communicates with the opening f between the arms 0 by an opening, a, between the contracted portions of the cockeye, so that the chain-link h can be passed through the openings f and i into the recess 9 of the cockeye. This construction enables the cockeye to be made in one piece without a removable bolt, and at the same time enables the cockeye to receive the link of a chain or a ring or loop which has no opening in its circumference. This constructionis very useful, as it permits the lengthening of the trace by adding a section of a chain.

Theplates b b are secured to the trace or the rear end of a trace, and, as represented in Fig. 3, the coupling is employed for connecting a chain to the trace by means of a bolt, Z, which passes through the socket of the coupling.

Vhen it is desired to use the coupling for attaching a buckle to a strap, one of the plates of thecoupling is constructed with a loop, m, for the reception of the billet, .as represented in Fig. 4. When the coupling is employed for connecting the hame-loop to the front end of the hame-tug, the inner plate, I), of the coupling is preferably provided with a marginal perforated flange, n, at its upper and-lower sides, as'represented in Fig. 5, to which the protecting-strap is secured by stitching.

The loop which connects the hame-tug to the hame-staple may be constructed in the form ofa cockeye, as represented in Figs. 6. and 7, in which the arms 0 of the cockeye are arranged in a plane at right angles to the main portion of the cockeye in which the recess 9 is formed, and whereby the cockeye is adapted to properly connect the coupling with the hame-staple, the main portion of the cockeye lying in a substantially horizontal plane and the arms thereof in a vertical plane.

The opening z between the contracted portlons of the cockeye may be formed in the ordinary cockeye having a removable bolt, whereby such a cockeye is enabled to receive chains or loops having no opening in their circumference.

I claim as my invention- 1. A clasp or coupling for traces and other straps, composed of two plates, b I), curved connecting-pieces 0 a, separated by an opening, d, and formed in one piece with the plates b b, and a loop, m, formed on one of said plates, substantially as set forth. I

2. The combination, with a clasp or coupling composed of plates 1) b and curved connectingpieces 0 c, separated by an opening, d, of a cockeye, E, constructed with arms 6 e, separated by an opening, f, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a clasp or coupling composed of plates b b and connecting-pieces c c; separated by an opening, d, of a cockeye, E, constructed with arms 6 e, separated by an opening, f, and provided on their inner sides with collars or enlargements e, substantially as set forth.

4. The cockeye E, constructed with an opening, 1', between its contracted portions, and

arms 6 6, extending inwardly from the diverg ing side bars and adapted to embrace a clasp arranged between the side bars, substantially as set forth.

JAMES M. BAsING ER.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, CHAS. F. 

